"But--don"t you remember?--you told me about her--the girl you met, and loved at first sight. Suppose you met her again, and felt the same; then you would be sorry if I--"
"Oh, Mollie, do you mean to say you have remembered all this time, and never guessed! It was yourself, darling; there never was anyone else!
I think I must have cared for you from the first, though I did not realise it, for I was irritated that I could never get you to be serious. You were like a child out for a holiday--full of fun and mischief--and I wanted to talk of deeper things. Then one day for a moment you showed me a glimpse of your real self--the sweet, womanly heart that lay beneath the gaiety; and as I looked at your face I recognised it, Mollie. It was something I had dreamed of when I did not know I was dreaming, and wanted, without knowing what I wanted! I saw that look again five minutes after I had told you of my lost love, as you looked at me and wished me happiness. Why did you look sad, Mollie?
Were you--were you sorry at all?"
Mollie put her hand to her side with a gesture as natural as it was charming.
"It hurt," she said simply. "I never, never dreamt that you meant me, and I have tried hard not to think of you ever since; but I didn"t succeed very well... Why did you always write to Ruth instead of to me?"
Jack laughed happily, and with a lover"s privilege seated himself on the arm of the easy-chair, and took Mollie"s hands in his.
"Because, as I told you before, you darling, I was waiting. And do you really think you could make up your mind to marry me on next to nothing, and live in a tiny house, and wrestle with the household bills? Do you think I am worth the sacrifice?"
Mollie smiled at him, shyly confident.
"I"m so improvident that I"m afraid I"d marry you on nothing. I haven"t a copper of my own, remember. You will have a penniless bride. Oh, I wish more than ever that Uncle Bernard had left me something, so that I might help you! It does seem hard, doesn"t it, that Victor Druce should get it all?"
Jack hesitated a moment, tugging at his moustache with his unoccupied hand.
"I didn"t say that, you know. I never told you that he did."
"Jack!"
The name slipped out so naturally on the surprise of the moment that there was a prolonged interval in the conversation, while Jack acknowledged the compliment. Then Mollie returned to the attack, laughing and rosy.
"You asked if I were surprised. You said everyone had taken it for granted!"
"Exactly; so I did. But for once everyone was mistaken. Druce has not come in for the property."
"Then, who--who--"
"Someone equally unworthy--an ungracious rascal of a fellow called Melland. It is all mine, Mollie--all that there is to leave!"
And then Jack did a pretty thing--a thing that he would have sneered at as high-flown and sentimental a few months before; but no man really knows himself or his capabilities till he loves and is beloved. He slipped off his seat, and knelt on the floor at Mollie"s feet.
"And I have come to you," he said gravely, "to ask you to share it with me, for it"s worth nothing, and worse than nothing, if I have not you by my side!"
He held out his hand as he spoke, and Mollie laid hers in it, while her face confronted him, white and tense with excitement.
"I can"t--I can"t believe it!" she gasped. "It is too wonderful! You and me! That lovely, lovely place; and we the masters of it, able to do as we like--just as we like, all the summer days, and the winter days, and the beautiful spring, and no more anxiety and trouble! Jack--Jack!"
Her head went down on his shoulder, and he held her fast while she shed a few natural tears of joy and thankfulness.
"My poor girl--my dear girl! Yes, it is all over, and the money is as much yours as mine. I feel sure Mr Farrell meant it to be so, and that you will find something to that effect in this letter he has left you.
He discovered my secret before I left Raby, and said plainly how much he wished it success. There, darling, read your letter! I hope you may find some kind words to comfort your heart."
Mollie broke open the envelope, which he handed to her. It was a solemn business, reading a message from the dead, and her big eyes looked quite awestruck as they scanned the page. There were only a few words, written in a small, tremulous hand:--
"My dear Mollie,--I leave you nothing, hoping that you may share all.
That is my strong wish, and I believe I am helping on your happiness by an apparent neglect. Try to forgive me for refusing your last request. It would have been easier to consent, but I considered that a short period of anxiety would be a blessing in disguise, if it showed you who were your true friends. If a man comes forward and offers you his love in the days of obscurity and poverty, that man"s love is worth having. I hope and believe it will come to you. I thank you for your kindness to an old man. Forgive him for all his offences, foremost among them an unfounded suspicion.--Your friend and kinsman, Bernard Farrell."
"There! You see how right I was?" cried Jack in triumph. "In effect, we are joint heirs, and have equally free hands in the disposal of the money. You must settle an income on your mother which will ensure her against anxiety, and then you can come away with an easy mind, and help me to turn into a country squire and learn my duties to the tenants.
You told me once that he would be hard-worked if he were conscientious, and I want to do the thing well while I am about it. This is December.
I mean to be married in January, at latest!"
Mollie laughed, but with a somewhat tremulous sound. The change of scene which had taken place within the last quarter of an hour was so complete, so extraordinary, that she felt dazed by the shock. Not only had undreamed-of happiness come to herself, but with it such relief and ease for all belonging to her, that they would rejoice equally with herself. It did indeed seem more like a dream than a reality, as, with Jack"s arm round her waist and her head resting contentedly upon Jack"s shoulder, they drifted off into one of those delightful conversations which follow all happy betrothals.
"Do you remember?" queried Jack. "Do you remember?" echoed Mollie.
"What did you mean when you said?"
"How did you feel when you heard?"
"When did you first begin?"
"And are you quite sure you will never, never--" It is all as old as the hills, and as new as to-morrow morning, though each separate pair of lovers imagine in their innocence that they own the exclusive monopoly.
"Jack!" cried Mollie at last, sitting suddenly upright and clasping her hands in amaze. "Jack, imagine it! All this time I have forgotten the most thrilling part of all. The condition--the mysterious condition!
What was it? What did you do, or leave undone, which made you different from the rest of us?"
CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.
CONCLUSION.
"Aha!" cried Jack. "I wondered when you were coming to that! It was indeed something of which we could never have thought! Mr Farrell had learnt by sad experience that real happiness cannot be purchased by money, so had determined to leave his fortune to the one who cared for it least--that is to say, to the one who put other things first--love-- whole-hearted, disinterested love, such as he himself had felt for his beautiful wife; and honest work, enjoyed for its own sake more than for what it will bring! Ruth was out of the running from the start, for she showed so plainly that, to her, money meant happiness. There must have been a time when he wavered in favour of Druce, who played his part remarkably well; but on the whole, it was my obstinate, ungracious self which approached nearest to his ideal. He knew that I loved you, but that I should never venture to ask you to be my wife if you were a great heiress; so as he himself writes, he left you nothing, hoping that you would share all. I want you literally to realise that, darling--and to feel that the money belongs as much to you as to me!"
Mollie smiled at him in her sunny, candid fashion.
"Oh, I shall!" she said simply. "I mean to. There are so many things that I want to do for the dear people here, and they would like them better if they came from me. Uncle Bernard was a dear, sweet old thing to scheme for our happiness, and I adore him for it. I certainly put love before money, for I would marry you if we had to play an organ in the streets or sing sentimental ditties out of tune, but it will be like a fairy tale to live in the Court--with you!"
"It will, indeed! I don"t feel indifferent to fortune any longer now that it has brought us together. When the Will was read aloud yesterday, I did not know whether I was standing on my head or my heels.
I rushed down to the vicarage, and good little Mrs Thornton cried upon my neck, literally she did, Mollie!"
Mollie smiled at him with love-lit eyes.
"But oh, Jack, there"s something else--Victor? What about him? Was he terribly disappointed? Did he get nothing?"
"No! not a cent!"
"Did Uncle Bernard leave no word of explanation or good-bye?"
"There was no note, but there was an envelope and an--an enclosure,"
said Jack gravely.
He put his hand in his waistcoat-pocket and drew from his pocket-book an unmounted photograph.
"Druce opened this in the library after the Will was read, stared at it for a moment, then threw it in the fire, and dashed out of the room. It fell on the grate and the lawyer picked it up and gave it to me."